Central Pacific Special Air Services(CPSAS) was established in 2014 as a Trading Name under Islander Enterprises Pty Ltd (IEPL) in Australia and also its sister company Samoa Air in the Samoa Islands specifically for the purpose of providing contracted Aerial Surveillance across the Pacific. The intention was to assist the Pacific Countries in their defence against illegal and unreported Fishing by supporting the Australian PMSP Patrol Boats and the Forum Fisheries Association based in the Solomon Islands. Samoa Air responded to an Australian Government Memorandum of Understanding which later became a Contract with IEPL to provide Surveillance for Samoa, the Cook Islands, Tuvalu, Marshall Islands and Kiribati and during the contract Solomon Islands was added along with Vanuatu. The contract was worded to provide ongoing engagement for at least 3 years subject to performance. The first period was to be from August 2014 to August 2015.
CPSAS worked closely with the resident Forum Fishing personnel in those countries, receiving briefings from the local Forum Fisheries staff and supporting the Australian Patrol Boats at sea far beyond their patrol boundaries. For the first time ever CPSAS as a Civilian entity was tasked as an Australian Asset in various Military Exercises in Vanuatu and Solomon Islands and eventually in the largest of Naval Exercises the OPBE which involved Australia, New Zealand, United States and France.
No other Civilian operation had performed services at the level which CPSAS provided and with the support of the Naval staff at the Samoa Base and the other Navy bases across the Pacific, the expectation was that the Contract would extend as it was worded and designed to do and would keep expanding its capabilities leading up to a major white paper review due in 2018.
As it was, without other than broken promises and misleading and deceptive nuance the International Policy Division from their office in Canberra gave less than a days notice to CPSAS that they had decided for reasons of cost not to extend the contract.
At that point CPSAS was fully committed to deploying to its designated destination of Kanton Island to acquit their assigned role in the upcoming Military Exercise OPBE15 which involved the QUAD partners and would run for most of August 2015.
Naval Commanders in the region were not advised or consulted. The Decision was formed within the Bureaucratic world of the International Policy Division offices in Canberra.
Despite extensive efforts by CPSAS to persuade IPDIV to review their decision the only way forward was to take Legal Action which is now into its 7th year.
Most recently a Mediation process went without result and the matter is now headed for Trial later this year.
CPSAS was left in dire straits including losing its working assets and despite cash spending from my pocket amounting to over $180,000 Dollars over 7 years we now face the task of providing for a further $350,000 Dollars to bring the action to Trial.
The purpose of this Platform is to ask people of Australia and other places to help support us in our fight.
Such a win would be a win for all of us in terms of holding the Government and its officers to Account.
A request for a Senate Enquiry into IPDIV has been sought from current Senators and its progress will be posted within this website.
Thank you good friends
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